Finding Home (16 page)

“I didn’t think about it,” Adam answered flippantly. “I’d probably forget my birthday if it weren’t for these guys reminding me. It’s not a big deal.”

“It’s a big deal to me,” Dillon muttered under his breath, not loud enough to be heard. He didn’t want to cause a fight in the middle of Sunday lunch.

After they finished eating, Amy went back to the kitchen to grab the cake. She lit the candles and placed it in front of Adam. Everyone sang to him, and he closed his eyes before blowing out the candles. He hoped that his wish would come true that night, but he wasn’t banking on it.

Grams cut the cake and passed a piece around to everyone while Amy dug something out of her purse. “Here,” she told him as she handed him a plain white envelope. “Happy birthday, brother dearest.”

Adam tore the end of the envelope open and dumped its content into his hand. “Oh, my God! Are you shitting me?” he asked loudly, looking up at Amy in disbelief. “These were sold out!”

“Nope,” she giggled. “Gary pulled some strings and got them for me. Happy birthday!”

“What is it?” Dillon asked, his curiosity completely piqued.

Adam handed the gift to Dillon, who about lost his shit completely. “Coldplay tickets? Is this for real?” He glanced up at Adam with hopeful eyes.

Grams and Gramps were sitting back, quietly enjoying the show. They knew what Amy had done and were glad to see it unfolding. Dillon was bouncing like a little kid in a candy store. “Apparently,” Adam answered, squeezing Dillon’s thigh under the table.

“But I’m the one who likes Coldplay; why are you getting them for your birthday?” Dillon wondered, not that he wasn’t excited as hell.

Amy burst out in laughter, which wasn’t uncommon; she always seemed to be laughing at something. “Adam was telling me about how he found out Coldplay was going to be in town this week and how upset he was that the show was sold out so he couldn’t take you. One of Gary’s clients has connections at the arena and was able to pull it off for me so I could make my brother happy.” Gary was the guy Amy had been seeing since Dillon’s first Sunday lunch, and it seemed to be going really well for her.

Dillon had no idea how to respond to that, so he excused himself to go to the bathroom. Everything was so up and down for him. He never knew if he was going to be feeling good or unhappy when he got what was supposed to be good news anymore. The whole thing was really messing with his head, and he had no idea what to do about it. He stood at the sink looking in the mirror and still didn’t see what Adam saw, no matter how hard he tried. “I am worth it,” he whispered into the otherwise empty space. He didn’t feel empowered, though, he just felt unworthy.

There was a light knock on the door before the handle jiggled and the door cracked open a bit. “Dillon?” It was Adam’s voice.

“I’m okay,” he said meekly but unconvincingly. Adam pushed the door the rest of the way open and entered without asking. He stood with his back to the door but didn’t rush forward to Dillon.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s just a little overwhelming, that’s all.” Dillon wrapped his arms around his torso, being careful not to scrape the tender spot on his arm where the healing tattoo was.

“I had no idea she was going to do that, but how awesome is it?” Adam asked with some enthusiasm. “We’re going to see Coldplay this week!”

“It’s awesome…” Dillon trailed off.

“But what?”

“But I can’t wrap my head around why Amy got you a present for your birthday that was essentially for me. It makes me feel like I’m taking all the attention off of you,” Dillon explained. “It’s too much.”

“You really are clueless, aren’t you?” There was no heat in Adam’s words but they pierced Dillon anyway. He was so confused. “Amy’s figured it out, Grams and Gramps have figured it out, but you seem to be taking a lot longer to get it, so let me clue you in. The easiest way to make me happy these days, is to make you happy. It’s as simple as that. If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

“Why do you always say the sweetest things that make it impossible for me to feel bad?” Dillon had to know his secret. “It’s like you always know the perfect thing to say.”

Adam grinned. “It’s not like this is a game for me, Dil. I fucking love you, and I’m not just saying things because I think you want to hear them; I say these things because I mean them. I have no reason to lie to you, and you have no reason to believe that I’m being dishonest.”

Dillon dropped his arms to his sides. “I love you, too. I’m sorry I keep ruining things.”

“You didn’t ruin anything. I understand your insecurities, but baby, I’m going to keep doing everything in my power to prove to you that I’m sticking around. Can I ask you one favor though?”

“Anything,” Dillon responded quickly.

“Can we stop having these heart-to-hearts in the bathroom? It’s kind of gross.”

Dillon rolled his eyes and then closed the distance between them, pressing Adam up against the door, devouring his mouth. “I can’t wait to get you back to our room,” he mumbled against Adam’s lips.

That got Adam’s blood pumping. Maybe his wish really was going to come true. He just had to get Dillon home, so they hurried back to the dining room, where they said their good-byes in a hurry and rushed out the door.

Adam must’ve broken every traffic law on the way home, but damn, he was horny and had a gorgeous, willing man next to him. He was pretty sure a cop would understand if he had to explain, however he was glad he didn’t have to.

It didn’t take long before they were naked and finishing what they’d started. They spent the rest of the afternoon in bed with each other, only taking a few small breaks for sustenance and to shower before going at it again. Dillon had never felt so wanted in his life, and he was happy to give all that he could to Adam.

When Dillon got to work Tuesday, he was bubbling with excitement for the concert the following night. He was bouncing around the store, doing everything he was asked and then some. At one point when he was in the back moving stock boxes around, Cody noticed his unusually good mood and asked him what was up.

“I’m going to see Coldplay live tomorrow night!” Dillon practically shouted.

Cody stopped what he was doing and turned slowly to face Dillon. “Really? I thought that show was sold out!”

“It is, but apparently Adam’s sister’s boyfriend is a lawyer at some big firm, and he got them from one of his clients. They were a birthday present for Adam.” The smile on Dillon’s face faltered for a second. He still couldn’t say he ‘got it’ but who was he to turn down this opportunity?

Cody laughed. “So your boyfriend’s sister got him tickets to take you to a concert for his birthday?”

“Yup…”

“Damn, are you a lucky asshole or what? That family must really love you.” Cody shook his head as he chuckled. “I wish I was that lucky.”

Dillon wasn’t sure how he was supposed to respond to that. Cody didn’t know the details of his life back in Chicago like Adam did, and he didn’t want to seem like he was ungrateful, because he definitely wasn’t, but he was still conflicted about all the good things that kept happening to him. He was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“Maybe too lucky,” Dillon answered. “It can’t be this good all the time, right?”

Cody shrugged his shoulders. “When you meet the right person for you, it’s supposed to be that good.”

“Yeah, but I can’t do all these great things for him, so what is he getting out of it?” Dillon wondered out loud.

“Have you ever thought that maybe he sees the fact that he gets you in his life everyday as the great thing he gets from this?” Cody moved several boxes to their designated area as they talked.

Dillon grabbed a couple boxes and followed Cody across the room. “But I get him too, so we’re even there, right? So all this extra stuff just makes me feel unequal.”

“Have you thought about trying to do something nice for him to make yourself feel better?” Cody asked then laughed. “Wow! That sounds horrible doesn’t it? You shouldn’t do something nice for him because it will make you feel better. It should be about making him happy.”

“But what in the world could I do? It’s not like I have a lot of extra income, although I do have some more money saved since I started working here and moved in with him. He did the whole special dinner thing for me, he bought my phone because he didn’t want me to be without one, he won’t let me pay for anything ever, he took me out for my birthday, and did my tattoo for free. Plus, his birthday is coming up in about a week and a half, and I have no idea what to get him. Help me!” Dillon begged.

“Well, what does he like?” Cody stopped for a second and rested against a stack of boxes.

“He likes to work on his drawings at night sometimes while we watch movies when we have time together. Oh! He likes to watch baseball with Gramps on Sundays when we are there for lunch. I can cook but nothing fancy, mac and cheese and stuff like that. I don’t know.” Dillon was feeling terrible about not really knowing what to do.

Cody offered a suggestion. “Why don’t you stop by the art supply store on your way home and pick him up some drawing paper and new colored pencils or whatever he likes to draw with the best. Maybe get him some charcoals and see if he’d like to give that a try. Just something small that will make him happy, and you will feel better too.”

“Where is the closest good art supply store?” Dillon asked.

Cody pushed off the boxes. “You get off at three?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, I’m off at four. If you want to hang around for that hour, I can drive you and then take you home.”

Dillon was thrilled. “Really? That would be awesome!”

“No problem, bud. Let’s get the rest of this crap sorted so we can go to break.”

*****

When Cody got off work, he found Dillon in the break room with his back to him and headphones in his ears. He tapped him on the shoulder, startling him, which caused Dillon to flail and almost fall backwards out of his chair. Cody couldn’t help but crack up as Dillon yanked the earbuds out. “What the fuck was that for?” There was no heat to his words though. “You scared the shit out of me, asshole!”

“I’m off work, dickface. If you want that ride, I suggest we get out of here before they try to put us both back to work.” For some reason, Dillon felt giddy that Cody was calling him names. He knew from watching movies and television that guy friends tended to be crude to each other, which made him feel like he really had made a friend in Cody. Sure they hadn’t ever really hung out outside of work, but Dillon would take a friend anyway he could get one.

Cody clapped Dillon on the shoulder as they exited the break room. “Hey, I was thinking about something this past hour. You don’t have my number do you?”

Dillon blushed and he wasn’t sure why. “Nope.”

“Here, give me your phone.” Dillon handed it over to him, and Cody stopped outside the front doors. He punched in his info, then held the phone up and smiled a super cheesy smile as he clicked a picture. “There now you have my info and a profile pic.” Then he pushed a few more buttons and Dillon heard Cody’s phone jingle in his pocket. “And now I have your information.”

Cody handed Dillon his phone back, which he immediately pocketed. “Smile,” Cody blurted out which caused Dillon to look up with a confused expression.
Click.
Cody busted out laughing. “Oh my God! You should see this! It’s hilarious!”

“Did you seriously just take a picture of me?” Dillon asked him.

“I sure did.” And with that, Cody took off sprinting toward his car as Dillon lunged for his phone.

“Give me that phone!” he shouted as he chased Cody to the car. “I want to see that picture!”

“Oh hell no!” Cody teased. “You ain’t getting your hands on this one! That’s blackmail worthy!”

Cody jumped into his car and shoved his phone in his pocket before Dillon could get it. They were both laughing hard and panting, trying to catch their breath from the chase. “But for real, now you have my number so you can text or whatever if you get bored. Plus, if you need a ride somewhere while Adam is working, or if you don’t want to ride the bike to work on the days he can’t drive you, you can just ask me.”

“Thanks, man.” Dillon was genuinely thrilled to be bonding with his new friend.

When they got to the art store, Dillon had no idea where to start. Cody was beyond helpful in pointing him to the right section and offering suggestions on what paper looked good and which brands were probably better quality than others based on price. It came from all of his experience in retail work. “How long have you been with Target?” Dillon asked randomly as he browsed colored pencils and charcoal sticks.

“Three years,” Cody answered. “Oh, that would be good!”  He pointed at a box that had a combination of colors and charcoals. “It’s a bit more expensive than buying just one, but you get both for a deal.”

Dillon didn’t mind spending a little more, especially since it was on Adam, so he grabbed the box set and added it to the huge pad of drawing paper he’d chosen. “I think this should be a good surprise for tonight.”

Cody chuckled. “For an artist of any kind, new supplies are like crack. He’ll love it!”

After Dillon paid for the items, they left to head back to Adam’s. “Damn this thing is driving me crazy!” Dillon blurted out in the car, squeezing his hand into a fist and flexing the muscles in his forearm, trying to drive away the itching from the tattoo. “How long does the insane itching last?”

A genuine snort busted out of Cody. “Seriously? Didn’t Adam warm you that the worst part of getting a tattoo isn’t the needle, but the itchy healing after?”

“No, but I kind of want to cut the damn thing off!”

“You poor thing,” Cody joked in an overly patronizing voice. “Mine lasted over a week, but it’s bigger than yours. Although yours is on more tender skin so it might itch more, I couldn’t tell ya.”

Dillon grunted in disapproval. “Bastard.”

“Who?”

“Adam! He should’ve told me,” Dillon muttered. “Want to grab something to eat and take it with us back to the house?”

“Sure,” Cody agreed and found the nearest fast food drive-thru. Dillon insisted on paying for both of their meals since Cody was driving him around, and Cody had enough sense not to argue with free food, which pleased Dillon immensely.

Dillon let Parker outside as soon as they got back to the house, then they sat at the dining room table and talked about random things while they ate their food. Dillon gave Cody the quick tour of the house before they ended up in the living room.

“So, Coldplay tomorrow night, huh?” Cody asked. “That’s got to be thrilling for you.”

“I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am. They’ve gotten me through a lot of shit in my life,” Dillon told him and then immediately regretted saying that.

Cody didn’t press for more information. “We’ve all got a band like that, I think. One that hits us harder than others with their songs that seem to relate perfectly to our lives.”

Dillon was impressed at how easy it was to talk to Cody since he rarely connected with other people. “I have no idea what I’m going to wear to the concert though.”

“Jeans and a nice shirt should be okay,” Cody told him. “It’s not like it’s a fancy thing. No one but you will care what you’re wearing anyway.”

Dillon sighed. “I know that, but I want to look good for Adam.”

“Adam already thinks you look good, Dillon, so you really shouldn’t be worrying about that. You need to have more confidence in yourself. Stop worrying about not pleasing Adam, because it’s obvious that he loves you. Wait, have you guys told each other that yet?”

Dillon’s smile and blush gave away his answer. “Yeah.”

“Okay, well believe me when I tell you that from what I’ve seen, you have nothing to worry about. That man adores the ground you walk on. He wouldn’t do any of this stuff for someone he only had partial feelings for. You’re safe, okay? Stop questioning him and enjoy it.”

“That’s what Adam’s been trying to tell me, but it’s hard,” Dillon confessed.

“Well knock it off before your worrying ruins a good thing. Just enjoy it! You’re young so have fun.” Cody smacked him lightly on the back of the head for effect. “Okay, enough of the emo crap. Let’s watch a movie or something.”

Dillon was glad for the company since Adam was working. He handed the remote to Cody. “Pick something. I’m going to go let Parker in quickly.”

When he got back to the couch, Cody had picked some comedy with Will Ferrell in it. They were both cracking up when Adam got home. He walked in the door to hear two separate laughs which confused him.

“Dillon?” Adam questioned as he shut the door and slipped out of his shoes. Parker heard the door click and jumped off of the couch, barking as he darted toward the hallway.

“In the living room,” he shouted back. Adam walked in to find Dillon on the couch with another guy and his heart about leapt out of his chest until he got a glimpse of the person. He recognized Cody as the guy who’d given them a hard time outside of Target the previous week.

“Hey,” Adam greeted them as he walked around the couch. Dillon stood and Adam pulled him into his arms immediately. Dillon rested his head against Adam’s chest and let his warmth penetrate him. Cody watched Dillon’s body visibly relax in Adam’s arms, and he could tell immediately that Dillon was worrying about nothing. The look of pure adoration on Adam’s face was a dead giveaway, he couldn’t understand why Dillon didn’t get it.